A Rock Star then, A Jewish Rabbi now…
By: Anne Gonzaga- Pabion
Is there a single Filipino music lover who lived his youth in the 70’s and 80’s who doesn’t know the “Jeproks” of Pinoy Rock Music? I suppose there isn’t one, simply because the guy became a household name during those two decades and his music is still being heard up to this day. I am talking about the legendary icon of Pinoy Rock Music who made our high school days “jeproks” or “cool”, no other than “Laki sa Layaw, Jeproks” himself, Mr. Mike Hanopol.
Michael was born in Leyte, Philippines and is the third of 10 siblings to parents who were both school teachers. He began showing interest in music at the very early age of five when he saw a Hawaiian guitar which was brought and played by his parents’ friend who once visited them. Music runs in his blood since his father was an orchestra/band leader, while his mom was a singer and his grandmother also played the guitar.
Mike almost neglected his elementary studies because he seriously involved himself in music by forming a band at the tender age of nine. His father brought him to a seminary where he spent his high school days because he showed disinterest in studies. There he received teachings from the priest who imparted to him the wisdom from the Words of G-d. Those words from the Bible that he heard were planted in his subconscious mind and began to make roots. During that time, he wasn’t aware of the impact those teachings was doing to him. Truth is, some of the songs which he composed were related to the Words from the Bible although he never thought of that then.
There was a time when he suffered from anxiety which caused him to be afraid of almost everything and anything he sees or hears and even fear from within. But strong as he was, he overcame that problem without any professional help. Then the awakening came to him. He began losing interest in the things he usually do and the people he used to spend time with.
Later in life, he would realize that whatever was planted will definitely grow in due time. It will soon flourish and begin to show signs of manifestation and affect his life as an adult when he began thirsting for more knowledge about G-d and Judaism. This yearning for knowledge about “Elohim” started when one Born-Again Christian friend invited him to a Messianic prayer meeting. Thereafter, he began his research for more knowledge. Mike went to Israel, New York and Canada for further studies about his new-found faith.Dear readers, allow me to introduce to you the rock music icon, Mike Hanopol, as the converted Rav Micah, a Jewish Messianic Teacher.
Focal: Shalom Sir Mike, erev tov! It’s a great honor to meet you. Tell us please, did you have any life-changing experience which made you decide to convert into Jew or is there somebody who influenced you into your decision?
Mike: Shalom Anne, erev tov. It took me a while or years to decide, because first you have to decide. Then they will decide if you can qualify. It took so many years of rejection, discouragement, decline, “This-is-not-for-you”, and all those sort of things. This is to test your sincerity and truthfulness or endurance if you can bear the hardship.
Focal: How do you compare yourself now from your heydays as a rock ‘n roll music icon before?
Mike: My life now is totally the opposite of what I used to be. I now have a different reality. The reality that I used to have before was full of materialism, physical, comfort and pleasure, or arrogance, and most of all manufactured or pirated happiness. Illusion lahat. Now my reality is the Infinity of our Creator, i.e. Eternal Life.
Focal: Please share your thoughts about being a Jew and what are the positives of being one?
Mike: You see, in Judaism, both negative and positive ay pinag-aaralan. The main thing here is that you are able to distinguish between light and dark, between positive and negative, between holy and profane, between good and evil, both of the two are within us. That’s what we are trying to perfect.
Focal: If there is one thing you would want to change or correct in your life, what is it and why?
Mike: The only way to transform the world is to first transform ourselves into a whole perfect being, not human being. I’m talkingabout our “neshama” or soul. Number one sa lahat na dapat mabago sa atin in my case ay ‘yung arrogance, pride and haughtiness. Nasa soul natin yan. Adam’s height was a towering 200 feet, everybody thought that he was god and yet his name is “dirt”, Earth, Adam. Humility yun. Ang opposite ng humility ay arrogance. What’s the difference between humility and humiliation?
Focal: Can you describe your feeling visiting the Kotel (Judaism’s holiest site) as a convert to Judaism?
Mike: Of course totally different as before. Kasi before, I did not know who G-d is. Now I know who He is, it’s like talking to my Father face to face.
Focal: If there is any, what do you miss in your life as a young musician and as a private person?
Mike: I don’t miss anything in my past life. I regret and remorse and repented most of those life. It’s all sinful, arrogance, show-off.I’m repenting every day of my life.
Focal: From what you have learned in Judaism, did it ever happen that you were given a vision or premonition and then one day it materialized?
Mike: Pag sinagot ko yan magugulat ka sa sasabihin ko. Alam mo, the whole universe is made up of spheres. Yang nakikita mo sa itaas na tinatawag na horizon is just a false perception between mind and eyes. You have to understand that a sphere from the next sphere has a distance of 10,000 light years and the universe has 18 layers of sphere. Can you imagine how far the Lord is? We must be very careful about beliefs and what the eyes can see. In our studies, we don’t have these premonitions or visions. But, if your dream or vision occurs between 4:00 to 7:00 a.m., believe that it is true. For us, the reality is outside universe which is called metaphysics. Long time ago, people have no idea about metaphysics, they don’t know what it is.
Focal: As a Rabbi now, how do you think you influence the lives and faith of your congregation?
Mike: Of course I influence my members by the teachings and observing my actions and speeches.
Focal: How do you see your local Jewish congregation 10 years from now?
Mike: This congregation that I’m teaching now took them 7 years to reach this point. They used to be 50 people, now they are only 15. Those who were able to endure can qualify to be a convert too.
Life is indeed full of surprises. For who would have thought that a rocker whose life involved and revolved in hard rock music, would one day become so spiritually immersed in the Jewish faith that would make him a Rabbi (Teacher) eventually? Mike Hanopol has gone through lots of changes and phases in his life. But as we believe, G-d has a plan for each one of us even before we were created in our mother’s womb, and that plan will be completed in His perfect time.
Mike leaves us these parting words that go… “Keep seeking, keep searching, until you find your true calling. Never give up!”
Friends, we would like to invite you all to a back-to-back concert of Mike Hanopol and Nonoy Pillora of Asin on the 15th of February 2014 at Beit Dani Recreation Center in Tel Aviv. Watch out for more information.